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Pulling together and updating your resume can be a daunting and sometimes intimidating task, but it doesn’t have to be. Below are the top five simple and easy resume tips to make sure your resume gets noticed by the right people!

Make sure your current position and objective statement (yes make sure you have an objective statement) matches the job description for which you are applying. Don’t be afraid to customize your resume as needed for each and every position you apply for as long as you can speak to and back up the skills that are required. In the world of resumes and job searching one size does NOT fit all and the time you take to do this will be well spent!

Make sure there are no chronological gaps in your resume’s timeline. If there are gaps you will need to fill in these holes with explanations, this is a critical mistake that many job seekers overlook or decide to ignore. Any missing time in your resume is a recipe for failure. If you took a year off to care for a family member, went back to school or any other reason, just say it like it was.

Perfect grammar, spelling and punctuation are not suggestions but a requirement. I know some job seekers struggle with this part of resume writing but it doesn’t have to be that hard. Spell check is a life-savor but only if used! You would be amazed at the number of typos found on professional resumes. Hiring Managers notice these mistakes as a lack of attention to detail. Also don’t be afraid to use the other tools available from MS Word such as the Thesaurus, which will give you alternatives to phrasing so you are not repeating the same words throughout your resume.

Properly document your educational background on your resume. This may seem like a no brainer of a suggestion but it is one that many do not follow. If you have graduated from college put down that you have completed either your BA or BS, simply putting down the college or university is not enough and could imply you did not graduate but rather did course work. This is an important distinction and one that could disqualify some candidates right off the bat. If you have done college course work but have not graduated make sure to notate that as opposed to simply stating the college attended. This will look like you are trying to pull one over on the hiring manager, which will never go well.

Make sure you always include your geographic location in your resume. Simply stating your name and phone number is not enough when location is an important factor in a job opportunity. Conversely if you do not presently live in the area in which the opportunity is you will need to address that in either a cover letter or somewhere on your resume so that the hiring manager knows you are actively looking for employment in that city. Many resumes get dismissed because these details are left out or are not properly documented.